Upper Guinea Research Articles

Mechanization of artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Guinea: Socio-technical trajectory of a rural mining site in Upper Guinea

Since the beginning of the 21st century, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in West Africa has undergone intensification and significant development due to the introduction of increasingly mechanized extraction and processing method. Mechanization generates significant transformations in the socio-technical dynamics of artisanal gold mining. In the specific context of ASGM in Upper Guinea, the article argues that small-scale innovations (ie. ‘low noise’ or ‘low technological level’ innovations) are leading to a profound socio-economic transformation of the rural environment over a long period of time. We begin by describing and analyzing the impact of the introduction of minor innovations (metal detectors, solonins and fan motors) on ASGM practices. We then examine the political, social and economic changes brought about by the adoption of these new mechanized practices, again at the rural level. Finally, we discuss the transition toward a new socio-technical regime, questioning the reshaping of local governance and its impact on new configurations of land ownership and use in rural areas.

Analysis of care-seeking pathways and factors influencing early and appropriate care-seeking for malaria patients in the Republic of Guinea: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundMalaria is a major public health issue in Guinea and care-seeking behaviour is dominated by self-medication and delayed access to appropriate care. However early and appropriate care-seeking are essential to control and reduce complicate forms and mortality, particularly for the most vulnerable. This study was conducted to analyse the diagnostic pathway, and the factors associated with early and appropriate care-seeking for malaria patients in the Republic of Guinea.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out between December 2022 to March 2023 in nine health districts within health facilities and at community level. The study population was confirmed malaria patients with RDT or microscopy. Kroeger’s conceptual framework was used to design the questionnaire. Conventional recourse was defined as using a healthcare facility or community services, early and appropriate care-seeking was defined as within 24 h of symptom onset in a conventional recourse, and care pathway as the sequence of recourses followed by each patient. Sankey alluvial plots were used to represent patients' diagnostic pathways, and logistic regression to identify factors associated with early and appropriate care-seeking.ResultsA total of 3300 malaria patients were studied, of which 1632 (49.45%) were female and 1132 (34.30%) were under 5 years of age, with a median age of 23 months. At the time of the survey, 1337 (40.52%), 1423 (43.12%), and 437 (13.85%) of patients were respectively in their first, second and third recourse. A total of 2002 (60.67%) patients had sought care from a conventional recourse as a first line. Of all patients, 1757 (53.25%) had sought care within 24 h, while 28.55% had sought early and appropriate care. In the initial stages of treatment, self-medication was the most common approach, used by 1214 (37.30%). Patients from the health districts of Boffa (Lower Guinea, coastal region) OR = 0.48 95% CI 0.33–0.70, Dabola (Upper Guinea, savanna region) OR = 0.43 95% CI 0.30–0.63 and Labe (Middle Guinea, mountain region) OR = 0.63 CI 95% 0.43–0.91 (p < 0.05) were more likely to delay appropriate care-seeking, when compared to those in Dixinn, (Conakry). However, the under 5-year-old group OR = 1.55 95% CI 1.30–1.85 (p < 0.001) and the availability of a stable monthly household income OR = 4.98 95% CI 3.03, 8.27 (p < 0.001) were positively associated with early and appropriate care seeking.ConclusionA low rate of early and appropriate care-seeking was observed. Patients sought care through multiple means, often resulting in a delay in adequate management. The results show the need to deploy strategies adapted to the needs of communities.

Prevalence, risks factors, and control of hypertension in Guinean older adults in 2021: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundThe incidence of arterial hypertension increases with the aging of the population, but its magnitude remains insufficiently assessed. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hypertension and associated factors in elderly people in Guinea.MethodsData were obtained from a cross-sectional general population survey, conducted among people aged ≥ 60 years. A stratified enumeration area random sample survey was conducted in the four natural regions of Guinea from February to April 2021. This study included an interview on sociodemographic data, and a clinical examination. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90mmHg or previous diagnosis of hypertension (with or without antihypertensive medication). Hypertension control was defined as blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg during treatment. Age-standardized prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with hypertension.ResultsA total of 1698 adults (1079 men, mean age: 71.6 ± 9.4 years) had at least two blood pressure measurements. The standardized prevalence of hypertension was 61.4% [95% CI: 61.3–61.6], ranging from 52% in Middle Guinea to 67% in Upper Guinea, and was higher in women (65.2%: 65.0-65.4) than in men (59.1%:58.9–59.3). Among those with hypertension, 46.7% were unaware of their condition before the survey and 49.6% were on treatment and only 18.5% had controlled hypertension. Whatever the residence (rural or urban), increasing age, being unmarried, working as a trader or functionary, jobless, living in upper Guinea, low monthly income, intake of extra salt, known diabetic, overweight, and obesity increased the risk of hypertension. In urban area, female sex (AOR: 1.14: 1.12–1.17), living in lower Guinea (AOR: 3.08: 2.97–3.20), being Maninka (AOR: 1.26: 1.21–1.31), being Nguerze (AOR: 1.71: 1.63–1.81) increased the risk of hypertension, but living in forest Guinea (AOR: 0.88: 0.83–0.93), being Soussou (AOR: 0.88: 0.85–0.92) decreased the risk. In rural area, living in forest Guinea (AOR: 2.14: 2.03–2.26), being Soussou (AOR: 1.14: 1.12–1.17) increased the risk of hypertension, but female sex (AOR: 0.96: 0.94–0.98), living in lower Guinea (AOR: 0.87: 0.85–0.89), being Maninka (AOR: 0.94: 0.92–0.97), being Nguerze (AOR: 0.50: 0.47–0.52) decreased the risk.ConclusionHypertension is a major problem in the elderly population in Guinea, and the level of treatment and control in elderly with known hypertension is inadequate. The place of hypertension among cardiovascular diseases and the identification of associated factors underlines the need to develop innovative approaches to control this major risk factor.

Rodent control strategies and Lassa virus: some unexpected effects in Guinea, West Africa

ABSTRACT The Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the host of Lassa mammarenavirus, causing Lassa haemorrhagic fever in West Africa. As there is currently no operational vaccine and therapeutic drugs are limited, we explored rodent control as an alternative to prevent Lassa virus spillover in Upper Guinea, where the disease is highly endemic in rural areas. In a seven-year experiment, we distributed rodenticides for 10–30 days once a year and, in the last year, added intensive snap trapping for three months in all the houses of one village. We also captured rodents both before and after the intervention period to assess their effectiveness by examining alterations in trapping success and infection rates (Lassa virus RNA and IgG antibodies). We found that both interventions reduced the rodent population by 74–92% but swiftly rebounded to pre-treatment levels, even already six months after the last snap-trapping control. Furthermore, while we observed that chemical control modestly decreased Lassa virus infection rates annually (a reduction of 5% in seroprevalence per year), the intensive trapping unexpectedly led to a significantly higher infection rate (from a seroprevalence of 28% before to 67% after snap trapping control). After seven years, we conclude that annual chemical control, alone or with intensive trapping, is ineffective and sometimes counterproductive in preventing Lassa virus spillover in rural villages. These unexpected findings may result from density-dependent breeding compensation following culling and the survival of a small percentage of chronically infected rodents that may spread the virus to a new susceptible generation of mice.

Antona’s Suit

Abstract Antona, originally from Upper Guinea, raised a family in Mexico’s Black Pacific. Her story, memorialized in a freedom suit from 1597, suggests that framing survival as agency helps us reconstruct the experiences of people in a way that accounts for the complexity of power in their historical contexts.

Epidemiology and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of Leptospira spp. in humans in the Republic of Guinea

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a zooanthroponosis caused by spirochete bacteria called leptospire of the genus Leptospira. Objective: To contribute to the knowledge and circulation of the Leptospira germ in humans in the Republic of Guinea. Methods: This prospective and descriptive cross-sectional study lasted 18 months, from June 2019 to December 2020. Results: Of 2346 human blood samples analysed in the laboratory using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG antibodies against leptospirosis, the largest number of samples was taken in Lower Guinea (31.58%), followed by Forest Guinea (27.66%), Middle Guinea (20.97%) and Upper Guinea (19.77%). More samples were taken from females (50.89%) than males (49.10%), for a sex ratio of 1.03 in favour of females. In terms of natural regions, Basse Guinée recorded the highest number of female samples (36.85%). On the other hand, the highest number of male samples was observed in Guinée Forestière with 28.55%. The results of anti-leptospira class G immunoglobulin tests identified the germ in 93 patients, representing a prevalence of 4%. The average age of the patients was 45, with extremes ranging from 10 to 90 years. Of the 93 positive cases, the prevalence of Leptospira infection was highest in subjects aged 31 to 40 (46.23%), followed by individuals in the 41 to 50 age group (18.27%). Prevalence was lower in the 11-20 age group (9.67%), the 51-60 age group (7.52%) and the 61-70 age group (3.22%). No cases of Leptospire infection were recorded in the 0-10, 71-80 and 81-90 age groups. Males accounted for 53.76% of Leptospire infections, compared with 46.23% for females, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) ranging from [13.08-20.82]. Lower Guinea recorded 25.80%, followed by Middle Guinea with 32.25%, Upper Guinea with 20.43% and Forest Guinea with a prevalence of 21.51%. The prevalence of Leptospira infection is higher among women in Middle Guinea (21.50%) than in the other natural regions. We also note that Lower Guinea recorded the highest rate of positivity among males at 18.28% compared with the other regions of Guinea. Farmers are the most affected by infections with 46.23%, followed by veterinarians with 25.80%, health workers with 18.28%, retired people with 4.30% and commercial workers with 3.22% (3/93). Students and workers were the least represented in this study, with 1 case each, representing a prevalence of 1.07%. Conclusion: The results obtained prove that the leptospirosis pathogen does exist in the Republic of Guinea in the entire human population.

Local African responses to the early slave trade trade in Upper Guinea, sixteenth to seventeenth centuries

When Portuguese mariners reached the Senegambian coast shortly before 1450, they quickly engaged in taking small numbers of captives back to Lis-bon. In Senegambian societies, varied forms of limited or temporary servile status existed before this first contact, and the interior was connected to the older trans-Saharan slave trade. By the 1580s several thousand Africans a year were being pur-chased and taken either to the Cape Verde Islands, to Europe or, increasingly, to the Americas. Africans responded rapidly but variously to the development of this slave trade. They protected themselves by moving into remote or geographically protect-ed areas; and they learned to defend themselves and to turn the tables by capturing their aggressors. Some, such as the Bijogo, actively entered the slave trade, even cap-turing Portuguese. Finally, several communities of escaped slaves were established, with at least the tacit support of local Africans. These Maroon communities were composed at least partly of captives who had escaped from the Portuguese.

Genome-wide diversity analysis suggests divergence among Upper Guinea and the Dahomey Gap populations of the Sisrè berry (Syn: miracle fruit) plant (Synsepalum dulcificum [Schumach. & Thonn.] Daniell) in West Africa.

Although Synsepalum dulcificum is viewed as one of the most economically promising orphan tree crops worldwide, its genetic improvement and sustainable conservation are hindered by a lack of understanding of its evolutionary history and current population structure. Here, we report for the first time the application of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping to a diverse panel of S. dulcificum accessions to depict the genetic diversity and population structure of the species in the Dahomey Gap (DG) and Upper Guinea (UG) regions to infer its evolutionary history. Our findings suggest low overall genetic diversity but strong population divergence within the species. Neighbor-joining analysis detected two genetic groups in the UG and DG regions, while STRUCTURE distinguished three genetic groups, corresponding to the UG, Western DG, and Central DG regions. Application of Monmonier's algorithm revealed the existence of a barrier disrupting connectivity between the UG and DG groups. The Western DG group consistently exhibited the highest levels of nucleotide and haplotype diversities, while that of the Central DG exhibited the lowest. Analyses of Tajima's D, Fu's Fs, and Achaz Y* statistics suggest that while both UG and Central DG groups likely experienced recent expansions, the Western DG group is at equilibrium. These findings suggest a geographical structuring of genetic variation which supports the conclusion of differential evolutionary histories among West African groups of S. dulcificum. These results provide foundational insights to guide informed breeding population development and design sustainable conservation strategies for this species.

The Relationship Between the Formation of Cabo Verdean Society and Upper Guinea

ABSTRACT: The historical narratives in the context of colonial exploitation generally seek to show that the (re)configuration of national identities—and consequently the formation of societies in the region formerly called Upper Guinea—has resulted from sociocultural interactions of different ethnic groups that are characterized by their fluidity and, at the same time, ambiguity of belonging. This article uses a sociohistorical approach to understand narratives of the role of the institutionalization of slavery in the process of the formation of Cabo Verdean society, highlighting sociocultural, political, and economic influences in its relationship with Upper Guinea. The article also critically explores the historical factors or milestones of, perhaps, a colonial “modernity” of Upper Guinea, which effectively succeeded in pursuing its own expansion project of imperialism and institutionalization of slavery in other parts of the world, particularly in the Atlantic and in the “Americas.” In this sense, the main research question becomes: How was the institutionalization of slavery in Cabo Verde and its relationship with the Upper Guinea triggered for the configuration of Cabo Verdean society? After a systematic analysis of the available data, the results show that the configuration of Cabo Verdean society, marked by its specific identity, resulted from slavery and, of course, from resistance to it, and from a common history, correlated by sociocultural and linguistic phenomena and processes of this region. KEYWORDS: Sociohistorical approach; institutionalization of Slavery; Upper Guinea; formation of Cabo Verdean society RESUMO: As narrativas históricas existentes no contexto da exploração colonial procuram geralmente mostrar que a (re)configuração das identidades nacionais e - consequentemente a formação das sociedades na região, outrora designada de Alta Guiné - resultaram das interações socioculturais de diferentes grupos étnicos caraterizados pela sua fluidez e, ao mesmo tempo, ambiguidade de pertença. O estudo emprega uma abordagem sócio-histórica para compreender as narrativas do papel da institucionalização da escravidão no processo da formação da sociedade cabo-verdiana, destacando as influências socioculturais, políticas e económicas na sua relação com a Alta Guiné. O estudo também explora criticamente os fatores ou marcos históricos de, quiçá, uma “modernidade” colonial a partir da Alta Guiné que, efetivamente conseguiu imprimir um projeto próprio de expansão do imperialismo e institucionalização da escravidão nas outras partes do mundo, em particular no Atlântico e nas “Américas”. Neste sentido, procura-se questionar como a institucionalização da escravatura em Cabo Verde e a sua relação com a Alta Guiné despoletou-se numa identidade própria para a configuração da sociedade cabo-verdiana? Após uma análise sistemática dos dados disponíveis, os resultados mostram que a configuração da formação da sociedade cabo-verdiana marcada pela sua especificidade identitária resultou graças à escravatura e naturalmente à sua resistência, de uma história comum correlacionada por fenómenos e processos socioculturais e linguísticos desta região. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: colonização, institucionalização da escravidão, Alta Guiné e a formação da sociedade cabo-verdiana

Domestic risk factors for increased rodent abundance in a Lassa fever endemic region of rural Upper Guinea

Lassa fever (LF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever endemic in West Africa and spread primarily by the multimammate rat, Mastomys natalensis. As there is no vaccine, reduction of rodent-human transmission is essential for disease control. As the household is thought to be a key site of transmission, understanding domestic risk factors for M. natalensis abundance is crucial. Rodent captures in conjunction with domestic surveys were carried out in 6 villages in an area of rural Upper Guinea with high LF endemicity. 120 rodent traps were set in rooms along a transect in each village for three nights, and the survey was administered in each household on the transects. This study was able to detect several domestic risk factors for increased rodent abundance in rural Upper Guinea. Regression analysis demonstrated that having > 8 holes (RR = 1.8 [1.0004–3.2, p = 0.048), the presence of rodent burrows (RR = 2.3 [1.6–3.23, p = 0.000003), and being in a multi-room square building (RR = 2.0 [1.3–2.9], p = 0.001) were associated with increased rodent abundance. The most addressable of these may be rodent burrows, as burrow patching is a relatively simple process that may reduce rodent entry. Further study is warranted to explicitly link domestic rodent abundance to LF risk, to better characterize domestic risk factors, and to evaluate how household rodent-proofing interventions could contribute to LF control.

White Cannibalism in the Illegal Slave Trade

Abstract The Portuguese schooner Arrogante was captured in late November 1837 by HMS Snake, off the coast of Cuba. At the time, the Arrogante had more than 330 Africans on board, who had been shipped from the Upper Guinea coast. Once the vessel arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the British authorities apprenticed those who had survived. Shortly after landing, however, the Arrogante’s sailors were accused of slaughtering an African man, cooking his flesh, and forcing the rest of those enslaved on board to eat it. Furthermore, they were also accused of cooking and eating themselves the heart and liver of the same man. This article focuses not so much on the actual event, as on the transatlantic process that followed, during which knowledge was produced and contested, and relative meanings and predetermined cultural notions associated with Europeans and Africans were probed and queried.

Contrasting genetic signal of recolonization after rainforest fragmentation in African trees with different dispersal abilities

Although today the forest cover is continuous in Central Africa, this may have not always been the case, as the scarce fossil record in this region suggests that arid conditions might have significantly reduced tree density during the ice ages. Our aim was to investigate whether the dry ice age periods left a genetic signature on tree species that can be used to infer the date of the past fragmentation of the rainforest. We sequenced reduced representation libraries of 182 samples representing five widespread legume trees and seven outgroups. Phylogenetic analyses identified an early divergent lineage for all species in West Africa (Upper Guinea) and two clades in Central Africa: Lower Guinea-North and Lower Guinea-South. As the structure separating the Northern and Southern clades-congruent across species-cannot be explained by geographic barriers, we tested other hypotheses with demographic model testing using δαδι. The best estimates indicate that the two clades split between the Upper Pliocene and the Pleistocene, a date compatible with forest fragmentation driven by ice age climatic oscillations. Furthermore, we found remarkably older split dates for the shade-tolerant tree species with nonassisted seed dispersal than for light-demanding species with long-distance wind-dispersed seeds. Different recolonization abilities after recurrent cycles of forest fragmentation seem to explain why species with long-distance dispersal show more recent genetic admixture between the two clades than species with limited seed dispersal. Despite their old history, our results depict the African rainforests as a dynamic biome where tree species have expanded relatively recently after the last glaciation.

Between the city and the farm: food environments in artisanal mining communities in Upper Guinea.

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a widespread livelihood in low- and middle-income countries; however, many in ASM communities face high levels of poverty and malnutrition. The food environments in ASM communities have non-agricultural rural characteristics that differ from those in urban and agricultural rural areas examined in much existing food environment literature. We examine these complex external and personal food environments in ASM communities via a study using qualitative and quantitative methods. Market surveys and a cross-sectional household survey, plus qualitative mining site non-participant observations and in-depth structured interviews, were conducted in three waves. Eighteen study sites in ASM communities in northern Guinea. Surveys covered mothers in mining households with young children (n 613); in-depth interviews engaged caregivers of young children (n 45), food vendors (n 40) and young single miners (n 15); observations focused on mothers of young children (n 25). The external food environment in these ASM communities combines widespread availability of commercially processed and staple-heavy foods with lower availability and higher prices for more nutritious, non-staple foods. Within the personal food environment, miners are constrained in their food choices by considerable variability in daily cash income and limited time for acquisition and preparation. We demonstrate that ASM communities have characteristics of both urban and rural populations and argue for greater nuance and appreciation of complexity in food environment research and resultant policy and programming.

Hunting and consumption of rodents by children in the Lassa fever endemic area of Faranah, Guinea.

As a consequence of the Ebola outbreak, human–animal contact has gained importance for zoonotic transmission surveillance. In Faranah (Upper Guinea), daily life is intertwined with rodents, such as the Natal multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis; a reservoir for Lassa virus (LASV). However, this contact is rarely perceived as a health risk by residents, although Lassa fever (LF) is known to be endemic to this region. Conversely, these observations remain a great concern for global health agendas. Drawing on ethnographic research involving interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and informal discussions over four months, we first identified factors that motivated children to hunt and consume rodents in Faranah villages, and thereafter, explored the knowledge of LF infection in children and their parents. Furthermore, we studied two dimensions of human-rodent encounters: 1) space-time of interaction and 2) factors that allowed the interaction to occur and their materiality. This approach allowed us to contextualize child-rodent contacts beyond domestic limits in the fallow fields, swamps, and at other times for this practice. A close look at these encounters provided information on rodent trapping, killing, and manipulation of cooking techniques and the risk these activities posed for the primary transmission of LASV. This research facilitated the understanding of children’s exposure to M. natalensis during hunting sessions and the importance of rodent hunting, which is a part of their boyish identity in rural areas. Determination of when, where, why, and how children, rodents, and environments interacted allowed us to understand the exposures and risks important for human and animal surveillance programs in the Lassa-endemic region.

The Adjudication of Slave Ship Captures, Coercive Intervention, and Value Exchange in Comparative Atlantic Perspective, ca. 1839–1870

AbstractWhat were the consequences of creating jurisdictions against the transatlantic slave trade in the nineteenth-century Atlantic world? Answering this question requires a comparative focus on the courts of mixed commission that adjudicated naval captures of slave ships, located at Sierra Leone (the foremost site of British abolition) and Brazil (the primary mid-century target). Court jurisdiction conflicted with sovereign jurisdiction regarding the presence of recaptives (“liberated Africans”), the risk of re-enslavement, and unlawful naval captures. To rescue the re-enslaved and compensate the loss of property, regulating anti-slave-trade jurisdiction involved coercive strategies alternating with negotiated value exchanges. Abolition as a legal field emerged from interactions between liberated Africans, British diplomatic and naval agents, and local political elites in Brazil and on the Upper Guinea Coast.

Plastome phylogeography in two African rain forest legume trees reveals that Dahomey Gap populations originate from the Cameroon volcanic line

Paleo-environmental data show that the distribution of African rain forests was affected by Quaternary climate changes. In particular, the Dahomey Gap (DG) – a 200 km wide savanna corridor currently separating the West African and Central African rain forest blocks and containing relict rain forest fragments – was forested during the mid-Holocene and possibly during previous interglacial periods, whereas it was dominated by open vegetation (savanna) during glacial periods. Genetic signatures of past population fragmentation and demographic changes have been found in some African forest plant species using nuclear markers, but such events appear not to have been synchronous or shared across species. To better understand the colonization history of the DG by rain forest trees through seed dispersal, the plastid genomes of two widespread African forest legume trees, Anthonotha macrophylla and Distemonanthus benthamianus, were sequenced in 47 individuals for each species, providing unprecedented phylogenetic resolution of their maternal lineages (857 and 115 SNPs, respectively). Both species exhibit distinct lineages separating three regions: 1. Upper Guinea (UG, i.e. the West African forest block), 2. the area ranging from the DG to the Cameroon volcanic line (CVL), and 3. Lower Guinea (LG, the western part of the Central African forest block) where three lineages co-occur. In both species, the DG populations (including southern Nigeria west of Cross River) exhibit much lower genetic diversity than UG and LG populations, and their plastid lineages originate from the CVL, confirming the role of the CVL as an ancient forest refuge. Despite the similar phylogeographic structures displayed by A. macrophylla and D. benthamianus, molecular dating indicates very contrasting ages of lineage divergence (UG diverged from LG since c. 7 Ma and 0.7 Ma, respectively) and DG colonization (probably following the Mid Pleistocene Transition and the Last Glacial Maximum, respectively). The stability of forest refuge areas and repeated similar forest shrinking/expanding events during successive glacial periods might explain why similar phylogeographic patterns can be generated over contrasting timescales.

Addressing the Vepris verdoorniana complex (Rutaceae) in West Africa, with two new species

SummaryVepris verdoorniana (Rutaceae) has long been regarded as a widespread and variable species occurring from Guinea to Gabon. Recent evidence has shown that the original material from the type locality in Cameroon consists of two different species, V. verdoorniana in the strict sense, endemic to Lower Guinea (Cameroon, Gabon and C.A.R. in W-C Africa) and V. letouzeyi Onana, which was thought to occur from Guinea to Cameroon. In this paper we show that the West African (Upper Guinea) material previously referred to as V. letouzeyi/V. verdoorniana is separate morphologically from that in Cameroon (Lower Guinea). In fact the West African material referred to comprises two distinct species, here described as V. occidentalis Cheek & Onana (Guinea to Ghana, but probably extending to Benin) a tree of lowland marginal dry evergreen and semi-deciduous forest, and V. fer Cheek, a species restricted to four mainly lower submontane forest locations on iron substrates in Liberia and Sierra Leone (also Upper Guinea). Vepris occidentalis is here assessed as Least Concern due to its wide range and high frequency, whilst V. fer is assessed as Endangered due to the low number of locations and threats from iron ore mining projects. Both new species are illustrated and mapped.

Enslavement in Upper Guinea during the Era of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: Biographical Perspectives

This article explores the process of enslavement in upper Guinea during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by analyzing over one hundred autobiographical testimonies from the Freedom Narratives collection. Building on work done by P. E. H. Hair in the 1960s, it argues that testimony from people who experienced enslavement are usually the only sources that can provide specific information on the process of enslavement. Information collected from these sources allows historians to discern changing patterns over time and to contextualize enslavement in regional history. The analysis suggests that before 1820 warfare was the most common mode of enslavement, fueled by the raiding of the ceddo states and the growth of the Islamic states such as Fuuta Jalon and Fuuta Toro. After 1820, kidnapping gained in importance, especially in the area near Gallinas. The article concludes with an analysis of ninety-four additional testimonies from a slave-dealing investigation undertaken in Sierra Leone in 1853–1854, which document the growing significance of children in local slavery during the waning years of the transatlantic trade.

A40 Estimation of Lassa virus emergence in Upper Guinea through a time-calibrated phylogeny

Lassa fever is a hemorrhagic fever caused by an arenavirus, the Lassa virus (LASV), and can affect 150–200,000 persons per year in West Africa. The virus is hosted by several rodents, Mastomys natalensis and M. erythroleucus, Hylomyscus pamfi, and Mus baoulei. People can be contaminated at home or in the farms, by touching contaminated surfaces, eating contaminated food, or breathing aerosolized viral particles. Human-to-human transmission is occurring as well through infected bodily fluids. In Upper Guinea in particular, M. natalensis is the main host, with LASV prevalence of 14 per cent and IgG prevalence of 27 per cent. In humans, IgG prevalence is 40 per cent. This is, therefore, a hot spot for LASV transmission. In a previous phylogenetic study including 132 partial nucleoprotein (NP) sequences isolated from rodents, we showed that LASV could have emerged 90 years ago in the area. Here, we aim to revise the time of emergence upon analyzing the complete NP and polymerase genes of two strains coming from Upper Guinea: ‘Bantou 366’, a strain isolated from M. natalensis in 2003, and ‘Faranah’, a strain isolated from a human in 1996. They were aligned with 22 other LASV sequences belonging to all lineages and dated by their day of collection. In BEAST (v1.10) tree reconstruction, the following settings were used: GTR+gamma distributed rate variation (four discrete categories) across each codon position and constant population size demographic model. Four clock models were tested: strict, uncorrelated relaxed, random local, and fixed local. The best model was determined by comparing the resulting likelihoods using AICM model testing. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling was performed for a total of 20 million states (sampling every 10,000 states) to obtain an effective sample size above 200 for all parameters. Results of MCMC sampling were examined in Tracer 1.6. The results showed that the Upper Guinea clade emerged 153 years ago when the phylogeny was reconstructed for partial NP (nt = 754, better model fit with strict clock), 208 years ago with complete NP (nt = 1,707, better model fit with random local clock), and 350 years ago with complete polymerase (nt = 6,681, better model fit with strict clock). The difference of emergence 1, 2, or 3 centuries ago, can be explained by the inclusion of some parts of the genome evolving slower than the partial NP. Therefore, the longer the sequence, the greater the divergence time. In order to have an accurate time of divergence, we suggest to use complete genes to perform a time-calibrated phylogeny.

DNA barcoding uncovers extensive cryptic diversity in the African long-fin tetra Bryconalestes longipinnis (Alestidae: Characiformes).

To investigate the presence of cryptic diversity in the African longfin-tetra Bryconalestes longipinnis, we employed DNA barcoding in a phylogeographic context, as well as geometric morphometrics, documenting for the first time genetic and body shape variation in the species. Analysis of cytochrome oxidase I gene (coI) sequence variation exposed extremely high levels of genetic differentiation among samples from across the geographic range of the species (up to 18%), certainly much greater than the traditionally employed c. 3% sequence divergence heuristic threshold for conspecifics. Phylogeographic analyses of coI data revealed eight clusters/clades that diverge by >4% and up to 18% (p-distance), potentially representing cryptic members of a species complex. A clear biogeographic pattern was also uncovered, in which the two main coI lineages corresponded geographically with the upper Guinea (UG) and lower Guinea (LG) ichthyofaunal provinces of continental Africa, respectively. Within each of these main lineages, however, no apparent phylogeographic structuring was found. Despite strong genetic differentiation, there is considerable overlap in body shape variation between UG and LG populations. For the most part, morphological variation does not match the strength of the molecular phylogeographic signal. Therefore, the ability to reliably utilise external body shape for regional delimitation remains elusive. Further anatomical investigation appears necessary to establish whether compelling diagnostic morphological features do exist between the divergent lineages of the B. longipinnis complex uncovered in this study.